valiquet



NITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

tours P. vAL oU'E'r, or BROOKLYN, NEW Y RK, Assrcnon TO LOUISE w.

STRONG, OF SAME PLACE.

:I'AB'LE IMPLEMENT.

'sPncmIc'A'rIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,273, dated March 26, 1889. Application filed Oetbher 26, 1887. Serial No. 253,432. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS RYALIQUET, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Table Implements, of which the following is a specification.

My invention provides an improved fork or tongs for table or culinary use, which is especially designed and adapted to facilitate the extracting of pickles, olives, &c., from bottles or jars. To this end I construct the implement with a handle, and with an immovable jaw fixed thereto and bent into the form of a hook, so that it may be passed beneath the object to be grasped, and with a movable spur so mounted as to be capable of motion toward or from said fixed jaw and movable by means of a knob or other handle at the upper part of the implement, the motion of which is transmitted to it by means of a rod sliding through the main handle or stem, to which the fixed jaw is attached. The spur is moved toward the fixed jaw by pressing on the knob or handle, and is drawn away therefrom by a retracting-spring.

Figure 1 ofthe accompanying drawings is a side elevation of my improved implement. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, the main handle or stem being in vertical mid-section.

Let A designate the main handle or stem; 13, the fixed jaw or claw attached thereto; 0, the movable spur; D, the knob or movable handle, by means of which the spur O is moved; E, the sliding rod, by which the motion is transmitted from the knob D to the spur C; and F, the retracting-spring for drawing back the spur. The main handle or stem A is essentially a tube, the exterior Of which may have any desired shape or ornamentation, and the interior or bore of which forms a guide for the sliding rod E. The upper portion of the handle A is chambered to make room for the spring F, the lower end of which is seated against the shoulder or end of this chamber, so that it presses downward on the handle, and the upper end of which comes against an enlargement or head, a, on the rod E, so that it presses upwardly against the rod, and thereby acts to retract the spur O. The fixed jaw B is attached immovably to the lower end of the main handle A, and is curved into the form of a hook, so that it stands opposite the spur O, and is approached by the latter when it is pressed down. tines somewhat separated from each other, as shown in Fig. 2, and the spur C is arranged to move toward the space between these tines. Thus the object to be grasped is supported at two points on its under side, and is engaged 6b at a single point on its upper side, so that a firm hold is obtained and it is prevented from tilting or rocking between the jaws. The spur O is fixed directly on the lower end of the sliding rod E, and the knob D is fixed on mersed in the liquids in which the pickles or other objects to be grasped are contained. The mere sliding bearing of the rod E in the handle A is not liable to injury or corrosion from contact with such liquids.

In use the implement is thrust into the bot- 8o tle or jar and its hooked jaw B is passed underneath the pickle or other object to be drawn out. The knob D is then pressed down with the finger until the spur 0 comes in contact with the pickle, whereby the latter is held against the hooked jaw and is prevented from escaping therefrom. The implement is then withdrawn from the bottle, carrying the pickle or other thing with it. If a pickle is being extracted that is too long to pass transo versely through the mouth of the bottle, it may be drawn through diagonally by tilting the implement and without danger of the pickle slipping away; or if it is too long to be thus removed it may be broken in two by a manipulation of the implement and extracted piecemeal, or it may be grasped at one end by thrusting the jaw B into the side of the pickle near its end and pressing down the spur 0 against the end of the pickle, so that it cannot escape from the hold of the jaw B, In some instances it will sufficehook the tines The jaw 13 is made with two 55 This construction has the advantage 7o of the jaw 3 into the pickle or other object without using the spur.

It will be observed that in my construction of grasping implement the spring is employed merely for retracting the movable spur in order to open the jaws, and hence may be a very light spring, the tension of which is not noticeable in resisting the depression of the knob D or lever D, and that as the spur is depressed by the direct action of the finger of the operator to close the jaws it may be pressed against the object to be grasped with any desired degree of force, depending upon the character of the object.

I claim as my invention the following defined novel features or combinations, substantially as hereinbefore specified, namely:

1. A table implement consisting of a handle or stem with a hooked jaw fixed thereto, in combination with a sliding rod arranged to slide in said handle, a movable spur fixed on the lower end of said sliding rod, whereby when said rod is depressed said spur is moved toward said fixed jaw, and a retracting-spring in said handle engaging said rod and adapted to draw said movable spur away from said hooked jaw, substantially as set forth.

A table implement consisting of a handle or stem with a hooked jaw fixed thereto, said jaw being formed with two tines spread apart, in combination with a sliding rod arranged to slide in said handle, a movable spur fixed on the lower end of said sliding rod, whereby when said rod is depressed said spur is moved toward the space between said tines, and a retracti n g-sprin g in said handle engaging said rod and adapted to draw said movable spur away from said hooked jaw, substantially as set forth.

The combination of tubular handle A, having recess G, hooked jaw B, fixed to said handle and formed with two tines spread apart, movable spur 0, adapted to said fixed jaw and cooperating therewith, rod E, sliding through said handle carrying said movable spur, and having shoulder a near its upper end, and retracting-spring F within said recess G, and bearing against the shoulder (0, whereby said spur O is normally held away from said fixed jaw B, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS P. VALIQUET.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR Fnasnn, Gnonen lI. FRAsER. 

